Advice on a Finishing Hone

Gents,
I am honing off Naniwa's...1K for the bevels, 3/8K for the edge and 12K to polish it up. I use diamond on felt and CroOx on rough leather as a few swipes depending on the razor. After lots of trail and error and grunts of exasperation I am now getting edges that are soft, pretty darn sharp and consistent. Learning a lot about not re-setting things on the bevel when I bought something shave ready that wasn't completely even on the bevel. I know I'm getting great shaves now not only because I can feel it, but my Razor Rock doesnt sting, just tingles. I don't know why the alum is my measuring rod...but it is.

Here's the question....is the 12K the best finisher all things equal or is there another finer grit to work in? Tom OShanter? Escher? I'm just riffing off the various posts and things I've seen for sale. Or all things equal is the 12K and diamond or CroOx as good as you can get in context of personal preference?

You are going to be hard pressed to beat the Naniwa SS 12k... other than personal preferences

Now after I write that you are going to get tons of responses from people who loves "Their Pet Rock" but when you get above the 8k level it really is all between you and the razor :)

12k will give you perfectly fine edge to shave with.
If you, like many of us, start to get into naturals then that is a whole different ball game, as far as what is best.

The 12K Naniwa SS will give you wonderfully finished edges.
In the right hands it will be able to give a finish suitable for the most discerning of us.

IME going to other high end finishers is 'gilding the lilly' in a way. You may or may not get a resulting edge you like better. For some of us, for me anyway, it is part of a hobby. Trying different finishers just to see what the fuss is about. I do like Eschers very much, some coticules and I have a Nakayama Asagi that is unbelievable. I really like the edge off of a Naniwa superstone and if that was all I had I would get along fine. Spending the extra $ on other high end finishers is more of a hobbyist's pursuit IMHO. Nothing wrong with it but not necessary if you're satisfied with what you have. Something I've never been able to attain. :banghead:

I love my SS12k, but I bought an escher because all the cool kids use them. It has been a very pleasant transition. I go from the 12k to the escher. I definitely feel a difference. I'm been getting the best out of all of my shave ready razors recently.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jcsixx

I love my SS12k, but I bought an escher because all the cool kids use them. It has been a very pleasant transition. I go from the 12k to the escher. I definitely feel a difference. I'm been getting the best out of all of my shave ready razors recently.

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So a perfect question for somebody in your posistion...
Is it that the Escher makes a difference or perhaps maybe that you are learning more about honing as you go ????

The eternal conflict on SRP is it the Hones or the Hands or do you know yet ????